Slicing machine



April 10, l934- w. A. VAN BERKEL. 1,954,606

SLICING MACHINE Filed 000. 10, 1932 Jim- Patented Apr. 10, 1934 SLICIN GMACHINE Wilhelmus Adrianus van Berkel, Clarens, Switzerland, assigner toU. S. Slicing Machine Company, La Porte, Ind., a corporation of IndianaApplication October 10, 1932, Serial No. 636,961 In Great BritainDctober 23, 1931 8 Claims.

My invention relates in general to slicing machines, and has moreparticular reference to a machine of the character mentioned, in whichthe substance to be sliced is mounted on a carriage having reciprocatingmovement with respect to the slicing knife.

An important object of the invention resides in providing a slicingmachine having a shiftable carriage and selectively operable means forreciprocating the carriage either by means of a rotatable flywheeloperatively connected to the carriage through a crank and connecting rodor equivalent mechanism so that rotation of the flywheel results inreciprocation of the carriage to and fro, or by means of a handle on thecarriage which may be grasped by the operator to enable him to push andpull the carriage past the knife. Where the carriage is under the directmanual control of the operator, the stroke of its movement past theknife may be varied at the will of the operator, whereas when driven bythe rotatable flywheel through the crank and connecting rod mechanism,the carriage is constrained to a definite stroke. Both of thesearrangements have their advantages and it is the object of thisinvention to provide a machine which may be quickly and easily convertedfor use according to either arrangement.

Another important object is to provide a device of the class described,which may be conditioned for manual operation either to permit thestroke to be accomplished and varied at the will of the operator, or,even while the device is being manually operated the movement of thecarriage is constrained to a definite stroke.

These and other numerous advantages will become apparent as theinvention is more fully understood from the following description which,when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses apreferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the machine, only such parts thereofbeing shown as are necessaryto permit the invention to be understood;

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan;

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are detail sectional views drawn to a large scale andtaken respectively on lines 3-3, 4 4, and 5--5 in Figs. 1 and 2.

In accordance with this invention, a slicing machine of the kind statedhas an operative clutch connection so constructed and arranged that,when the clutch is engaged, the carriage can be moved to-and-fro and theknife rotated by turning the flywheel; and, when the clutch is dis- (Cl.B16-102) engaged and the carriage moved to-and-fro by directly pushingand pulling it, the knife being rotated either by the carriage movementor by power applied to the flywheel.

In a preferred construction, the aforesaid operative clutch connectionis interposed between the flywheel and the carriage and knife, and asecond operative connection is providedbetween the flywheel and knife,the arrangement being such that this second connection comes into op- 06eration only when the flywheel is rotated. When a machine of thisconstruction is operated by power, the power is applied to the flywheel.Thus, the entire machine may be driven either by hand or power byturning the iiywheel, or alternatively the carriage may be directlypushed and pulled by hand, in which event the knife is rotated directlyby the carriage.

The slicing machine shown comprises a base 4 on which is mounted areciprocable carriage 75` 5 for the substance to be sliced, slicingbeing performed in the usual manner by a circular rotary knife 6, Themachine can be operated either by a ilywheel 7 or by a handle 8 securedto the carriage 5. 'Ihe ywheel 7 can either be turned 80 manually bymeans of a handle 9 or can be rotated by power, for which purpose anelectric motor 10 is provided, the motor 10 having a driving pulley 11and being pivotally mounted at 101 so that `it can be arranged to pressthe pulley 11 85 into frictional engagement with a pneumatic tire 12provided on the flywheel 7, or can be Withdrawnv into an inoperativeposition. The vusual valve by means of which the pneumatic tire can beinflated projects inwardly from the rim of the iiywheel and isaccordingly not shown in the drawing. The handle 9 has a pivotalattachment at 91 with the flywheel in order that, preparatory to poweroperation, the handle can be turned out of the way into the position inwhich it is 95 plate slidable across the carriage and 52 denot- 100 inga clamp on the plate 51. The substance-holder can be fed in well knownmanner towards the knife either by hand or by automatic feed mechanism,including an intermittently rotatable feed-screw conventionallyrepresented at 53. A vertical gauge plate 61 is provided in associationwith the knife 6 for use in well known manner during hand feeding, theplate 61 being disposed vparallel to the slicing plane and beingadjustwhich is secured to its shaft while the other has l a free-wheelmounting, this mounting being such that the bevel-gear-wheel concernedtransmits driving power if the flywheel 7 is rotated clockwise, whenviewed in the direction towards the right of Figs. l and 2. n theembodiment illustrated, the gear wheel 17 is shown provided with thefree wheel device or over-running clutch 171.

The slicing machine mechanism also includes a short cross-shaft 19having secured to it a crankarm 20 and a bevel gear-wheel 21 meshingwith a bevel-gear-wheel 22 on the shaft 15. The crank 20 is pivotallyconnected to one end of a `connecting rod 23 whose other end ispivotally attached to a member 24 pivoted to a pin 25 which is fixed toa stationary bracket 26 on the frame 4. The member 24 merely constitutesa support for the adjacent end of the connecting-rod 23 and takes nopart in the transmission of driving power.

The carriage 5 has pivotally attached to it at 27 one end of aconnecting rod 28 whose other end is pivotally attached at 29 to one arm30 of a lever which is fulcrumed on the fixed pin 25. The other arm ofthis lever consists of a toothed segment 31 meshing with a pinion 32having a free-wheel mounting 321 on the shaft 16, the mounting beingsuch that the pinion transmits driving power to the shaft 16 when thepinion is forced to rotate counter-clockwise, as viewed in l Fig. 1.

The pivotal connection between the connecting-rod 23 and member 24consists of a pin 33 which can engage in a hole in the toothed segment31, as shown in Fig. 3. The pin 33 is slidably mounted in a boss 231forming a part of the connecting-rod 23 and is provided with a stem 331terminating in a finger-knob 34. The pin 33 is continuously pressedtowards the segment 31 by a spring 35 housed within the boss 231 andbearing against a ring 36. screwed into the boss.

The stem 331 has a feather 37 whichcan engage in a slot 38 formed in theboss 231 and ring 36. The arrangement is such that, by pulling the knob34, the pin 33 can be withdrawn from engagement with the segment 31, andthereafter, by turning the knob 34 slightly, the feather 37 can be movedclear of the slot 33, with the result that the pin 33 is locked in itsretracted position. As shown in Fig. 2, the base 4 is formed with anopening by means of which access can be had to the finger-knob 34.

The free-wheel mountings of the pinion 32 and the bevel-gear-wheel 17 or18 have been illustrated conventionally in Figs. 4 and 5 and may be ofany appropriate construction and may include ratchet-and-pawl devices,or rollers inserted in wedge-shaped pockets, or coil clutches, or otherdevices.

It will be clear that the machine includes an operative clutchconnection extending between the flywheel 7 and the carriage 5 and knife6, the said connection comprising the following parts, namely, the shaft15, bevels 22 and 21, cross-shaft 19 and crank 20, connecting-rod 23,withdrawable pin 33 (which constitues the clutch) and segmental lever31; these parts being connected to the carriage through the rod 28 andto the knife-shaft through the pinion 32, counter-shaft 16 andchain-drive 141 (including the sprocket 14). On account of theabove-described connection, when the clutch is engaged (i. e., the pin33 inserted into the segment 3l), the carriage can be reciprocated andthe knife rotated by turning the flywheel 7 appropriately either by handor by power; and when the clutch is disengaged, the carriage can bereciprocated and the knife rotated by pushing and pulling the handle 8.It will be clear that, while the pin 33 is disengaged, the carriage isnot confined to any definite stroke.

It will also be clear that the machine described includes in addition asecond operative connection between the iiywheel and the knife, thisconnection comprising the shaft extension 151, bevels 17 and 18, andshaft extension 161. On account of the second operative connection,appropriate rotation of the flywheel always results in rotation of theknife; and, if the clutch be disengaged, the carriage can bereciprocated independently by pushing and pulling the handle 8, or itcan be left at rest (this being desirable, for example, when the knifehas to be sharpened). It will be seen that the connecting rod 23meantime moves idly to-and-fro, the member 24 swinging with it.

It will be manifest that a machine such as hereinbefore described canhave its carriage reciprocated either directly by hand while the clutchis disengaged, in which event the stroke is unconstrained, or by turningthe flywheel either by hand or by power while the clutch is engaged, inwhich event the stroke is denite. When the clutch is disengaged and thestroke unconstrained, it is desirable to perform the feeding of thesubstance-holder by hand, use being made of the gauge plate 61; but whenthe clutch is engaged, the automatic feed-mechanism may be used.

It is to be understood that the slicing machine described andillustrated has been chosen merely by way of example and thatmodifications may be made without departing from the scope of theinvention. For example, any desired drive may be provided between themotor and the flywheel shaft; and any appropriate form of clutch may beprovided. The various parts of the connecting-rod mechanism illustratedare arranged to move in vertical longitudinal planes, but any otherarrangement can be adopted instead.

It is thought that the invention and the numerous attendant advantageswill be clearly understood from the foregoing description and it isobvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit orscope of the invention, or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages,the form hereinbefore described being a preferred embodiment for thepurpose of illustrating the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A slicing machine of the kind stated having a rotatable drivingmember, a work support and a knife, said knife and work-support beingrelatively reciprocable, and operative driving mechanism between theparts comprising a crank rotated through gearing by the rotatabledriving member, an oscillatory member, a connecting rod extendingbetween the crank and the oscillatory member, a co-axial oscillatorylever formed with a toothed segment, clutch means connecting the saidconnecting-rod and oscillatory lever, a counter-shaft having a drivingconnection with the knife, another connecting-rod between the lever andthe work support, and a gear-wheel engaging the toothed segment andhaving a oneway driving connection with the counter-shaft.

2. A slicing machine of the kind stated having an operative connectionextending between the flywheel and the carriage and knife and includinga clutch, the said connection comprising a crank rotated through gearingby the flywheel-shaft, a connecting rod extending between the crank andan oscillatory member, a co-axial oscillatory lever formed with atoothed segment and which is connectible to the said connecting-rod bythe clutch, another connecting-rod between the lever and the carriage,and a gear-wheel which meshes with the toothed segment and is mounted ona knife-driving counter-shaft.

3. A slicing machine of the kind stated having a rotatable drivingmember, a work support and a knife, said knife and Work-holder beingrelatively reciprocable and operative driving mechanism between theparts and comprising a crank rotated through gearing by the rotatabledriving member, an oscillatory member, a connecting-rod extendingbetween the crank and the oscillatory member, a co-axial oscillatorylever formedwithatoothedsegment, clutch means connecting the saidconnecting-rod and oscillatory lever, a counter-shaft having a drivingconnection with the knife, another connecting-rod between the lever andthe work support, and a gearwheel engaging the toothed segment andhaving a `one-way driving connection with the countershaft, and a geareddriving connection between the driving member and the counter-shaft.

4. A slicing machine comprising a slicing knife, a carriage, a flywheel,an operative connection extending between the flywheel and the carriageand knife including a clutch, the said connection comprising a crankrotated through gearing by the flywheel-shaft, an oscillating member, aconnecting rod extending between the crank and said oscillatory member,a co-axial oscillatory lever formed with a toothed segment and which isconnectible to the said connecting-rod by said clutch, anotherconnecting-rod between the lever and the carriage, and a gear-wheelwhich meshes with the toothed segment and is mounted on a knife-drivingcounter shaft, and a geared connection between the flywheel-shaft andthe knifedriving counter-shaft.

5. A slicing machine comprising a slicing knife, a carriage, a fiywheel,an operative connection extending between the flywheel and the carriageand knife including a clutch, the said connection comprising a crankrotated through gearing by the flywheel-shaft, an oscillating member, aconnecting rod extending between the crank and said oscillatory member',a co-axial oscillatory lever formed with a toothed segment and which isconnectible to the said connecting-rod by said clutch, anotherconnecting-rod between the lever and the carriage, and a gear-wheelwhich meshes with the toothed segment and is mounted on a knife-drivingcounter-shaft, said crank oscillatory member and toothed lever beingmounted for movement in vertical plane.

6. A slicing machine comprising a relatively reciprocatory knife andsubstance-supporting carriage, and mechanism for operating the knife andcarriage, the said mechanism comprising a driving shaft, a counter-shaftdriving the knife, a crank-shaft geared to the driving shaft, a leverconnected to the carriage and having a freewheel gear connection withthe counter-shaft, a selective clutch-connection between the crank shaftand said lever, and a free-wheel gear-connection between the drivingshaft and the counter-shaft. Y

7. In a slicing machine, the combination with a rotary knife of asubstance table reciprocable relative to said knife, a rotatable shaftarranged with the axis of rotation thereof extending substantially atright angles to the path of reciprocation of said table andsubstantially parallel to the plane of reciprocation, a gear segmentpivoted on an axis substantially parallel to said shaft, a connectionbetween said gear segment and said table comprising a link pivoted tosaid table and to said segment, a gear on said shaft meshing with saidgear segment and having a one-way driving connection with said shaft, adriving connection between said knife and shaft, a power shaft, a crankhaving a plane of rotation substantially perpendicular to said rstmentioned shaft, and a pitman pivoted to said crank and releasablyconnected to said gear segment whereby said crank may be usedselectively to actuate said gear segment and thus actuate said knife andcarriage through said gear segment and operative connections to saidknife and carriage from said segment.

3. In a slicing machine, the combination with a rotatable slicing knifeof a rotatable knife actuating shaft extending parallel to the axis ofrotation of said knife, a substance carriage reciprocable in a pathsubstantially parallel to the cutting plane of said knife and parallelto a plane through the axis of said shaft, a gear segment pivoted on anaxis substantially parallel with said shaft and having a one-way drivingconnection therewith, a drive shaft having positive connection with saidfirst mentioned shaft for imparting continuous movement to said shaft, areleasable operative connection from said drive shaft to said gearsegment for rocking said gear segment, and a connection between saidgear segment and said carriage whereby when said drive shaft is actuatedsaid knife and carriage are operated due to the rocking of said gearsegment, and whereby said carriage may be operated independently of thedrive to said knife by releasing said releasable operative connectionfrom said drive shaft to said gear segment.

WILHELMUS ADRIANUS VAN BERKEL.

